1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates to conditioning of fabrics in an aqueous wash bath, to liquid compositions containing fabric conditioning ingredients and to processes for making the compositions.
2. Related Art
Silicones have been applied to fabrics during manufacture of fabrics or during the make up of articles of clothing. With respect to application of silicones to fabrics during a laundry process, Great Britain Patent Application 1,549,180; Burmeister et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,242; Konig et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,089; Konig et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,255; Dekker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,267 and Trinh et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,269 describe aqueous dispersions or emulsions of certain silicones of limited viscosity incorporated in liquid rinse-cycle fabric softening compositions. A fabric softening composition containing emulsified silicone is also taught by Barrat et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,033. Coffindafer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,026 discloses fabric care compositions containing curable amine functional silicones.
The compositions disclosed in the art contain individual particles of a silicone and individual particles of a fabric softening agent.
In the present invention the dispersed particle is a composite particle containing a mutually soluble mixture of a silicone and a fabric softening component. Compatible organosilicones described herein form mutually soluble mixtures with certain types of commonly used fabric softening agents. Critically, the organosilicones in the dispersed composite particles do not separate from fabric softening agents during processing or on standing. An additional advantage afforded by the present invention is a simplified manufacture of fabric dispersed separately and can be introduced into the composition simultaneously with a fabric softener.
Another advantage of using compatible silicones is that compatible silicones enhance the spreading of the fabric softening agents on the fabric surface as compared to the spreading of the fabric softening agents alone or in combination with incompatible silicones. As a result of the use of compatible silicones as described herein greater, more complete surface coverage by a fabric softening agent is achieved with a further advantage of smaller dosage requirements.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid fabric conditioning composition which contains composite particles of a mutually soluble mixture of a fabric softening component and an organosilicone.
It is a further object of the invention to provide processes by which the aforementioned composition can be manufactured.
These and other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.